While speaking in an exclusive interview with PUNCH Newspaper, popular Instagram comedian, Musa Afolabi a.k.a Lasisi Elenu, who is widely known for his use of the ‘wide mouth’ filter which he applies in all his skits, and has a following of over 337,000 on Instagram, opened up how he started and the blessings he has derived through the social media.

Here are excerpt from the chat;

Your first Instagram skit was posted on August 11, 2017. How did you grow your following so quickly to 337,000 within five months?

There is no secret at all. I think it is just about doing what I love and enjoy. If you are consistent at doing something, people will notice you and eventually follow you. They will also refer others to your page if you are doing something wonderful. I never thought of coming online to be posting any skit. I was just doing comedy for fun, for my family and friends, who would laugh and compliment me. But afterwards, others discovered me and wanted to see more of my funny side.

So, in August last year, I posted my first video skit on Instagram. I think I got just about 80 views on my first post. By the time I posted my second skit, it got about 110 views. I didn’t let the few views discourage me because I was not seeking fame in the first place. So, I just kept doing what I loved and enjoyed and that’s how the following grew. Today, I get thousands of views on my skits. So, I didn’t do any special thing to get followers on Instagram. I didn’t buy them and I didn’t also promote my account. It just grew because of my consistency and because there is a message in my skits.

Which of your skits do you think put you in the limelight?

It was the one I made about people who live on Lagos Island — on how they are too afraid of small potholes on the roads. I ranted that you would see them driving their cars too delicately and swerving at the sight of every small pothole and almost causing accident in some instances. I told them in the skit to go to Lagos Mainland, where there are many big potholes on the roads. If they saw how motorists on the Mainland drove over large potholes, I told those on the Island that they wouldn’t be swerving anyhow at the sight of small potholes.

Have you ever been a victim of online bullying and how do you handle it?

Yes, who would say they have not been bullied online? The hustle has not been easy, but I don’t pay attention to the bullies. I pay attention to my work.

What are some of the weird requests you get from your fans, especially the female ones?

There is a lot of weirdness out there, but what I try to do is to turn the weirdness into sources of inspiration. I don’t let them put me off. Concerning my female fans, some of them usually tell me that I am cute and that they would like to have s*x with me. Some who don’t request for s*x would tell me that they just want to have a date with me.

Do you grant such requests?

Of course not; one should not lose focus because of those things or else, distraction will set in and success will become farther away. I don’t want to be carried away.

Has your social media presence opened doors for you?

Certainly yes! It has opened doors for me. Through my skits, I have been invited to perform at functions that ordinarily, I would never have been able to attend. I have had conversations with people that I wouldn’t have ordinarily met. I have also received gifts from people because of what I do. So yes, my social media presence has brought breakthrough for me and it is a testament to the fact that if you love what you do and you are consistent at it, someday, it would bring blessing.

Have you ever come across some of your online fans in real life?

Yes, many times. In fact, some minutes ago [Wednesday evening], I met some fans and they were kind of excited. Sometimes now, I get scared of going out because of the attention. But I guess this is something I have to learn to adapt to.

Comedian, Lasisi Elenu
While speaking in an exclusive interview with PUNCH Newspaper, popular Instagram comedian, Musa Afolabi a.k.a Lasisi Elenu, who is widely known for his use of the ‘wide mouth’ filter which he applies in all his skits, and has a following of over 337,000 on Instagram, opened up...